Hi there I have a dunskin and a bay, I've never owned a dunskin before so I am simply wondering if I keep him in his stall from 11-5pm will his coat be darker or lighter? I'm not to sure how the dun genes work with the sun but I'm wanting his coat to be dark golden... I have attached 3 photos the colt is my horse he is 5 mo. now and the other is the stallion (finns dad) the fist is what jag looked like when they first got him and the second is this current year.. is his coat affected bc of wht they r feeding jag or is that the sun playing a role?

aforred

05-30-2011 05:46 PM

I'm not a color expert by any means, but it looks like the first picture was taken in fall, so his summer coat would have had time to bleach out. Was the second picture taken in spring? When horses first get their summer coat, that is what color they would be without bleaching. (If I have this wrong, someone please correct me.)

Your guy is so cute!

VelvetsAB

05-30-2011 08:26 PM

You can always use a fly sheet to help protect them from the sun.

IslandWave

05-30-2011 09:23 PM

Just wanted to jump in and say my $.02.
I would NOT keep my five month old foal in a stall. I'd rather have a bleached coat and a happy healthy horse that has room to grow and frolic around with his buddies in a field.
I suppose once you are actively showing and want that pretty coat and he's mature enough to stand in a stall all day, you can keep him in in the daytime. Or use a fly sheet that will protect him from the UV rays. Just keep in mind who he's turned out with and his personality. His friends might try to help him "escape" the sheet or he might pull it off himself! He's a cutie for sure. :-)

aforred

05-30-2011 09:39 PM

You can also try a sunscreen spray developed for horses. I used one, but only briefly, so I can't really tell how well it worked. It did work on the show steer, though.

livestoride

05-30-2011 09:55 PM

I agree with Island wave. Let your foal be a foal - outside having fun. He is very cute. Does it really matter his exact shade? If you really care that much about his color, use a fly sheet.

Royal Pine Buck

05-31-2011 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IslandWave
(Post 1051415)

Just wanted to jump in and say my $.02.
I would NOT keep my five month old foal in a stall. I'd rather have a bleached coat and a happy healthy horse that has room to grow and frolic around with his buddies in a field.
I suppose once you are actively showing and want that pretty coat and he's mature enough to stand in a stall all day, you can keep him in in the daytime. Or use a fly sheet that will protect him from the UV rays. Just keep in mind who he's turned out with and his personality. His friends might try to help him "escape" the sheet or he might pull it off himself! He's a cutie for sure. :-)

I am also with IslandWave.

you don't want to keep ANY horse in a stall more than he has to be! it is MUCH healthier for them to be outside. bleached coat or not.

if it really matters a lot to you. a lot of people SWEAR by paprika! paprika is high in copper and is also the main ingredient in Black As Knight . (no, it isn't only for black horses) Copper Deficiency is a cause of fading and bleaching of coats.

but don't go adding copper supplements to your horses diet without consulting and nutritionist. it could cause a lot of things to go out of wack because copper has to be in the right ratio for the other minerals to work. but i think adding a bit a paprika would be okay. since it is also high in other trace minerals.

hope that helps.

but don't leave them in! the movement and fresh air is good for overall health

gypsygirl

05-31-2011 07:06 AM

paprika did not work at all for my horse, but putting on a fly sheet with UV protection helped a lot, she is out 24/7

tierney3031

06-01-2011 01:40 AM

Thanks for the help everyone... here's another concern I hve though feel free 2 answr

2 Attachment(s)

thanks everyone for the advise I have no intentions in keeping him in a stall all day by any means... he is the smallest and youngest horse right now though and I'm afraid of him getting hurt by the older horses here are their ages 2yr filly, 2 yearlings (filly and stud colt) 5 yr old mare 6 yr old mare 15 yr old mare and a 11 yr old gelding... will he be okay with all of them or should I ask my friend to keep one or two in a seperate pasture w him? And thanks Finny is a sweat heart one of a kind horse for sure!